Lawyers e-Journal

Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012

MBA plugs second video in public awareness campaign

Next YouTube post emphasizes courts’ adaptations to funding crisis

The Massachusetts Bar Association has posted its second video as
part of its public awareness campaign on the effects of underfunded
courts. The second video in the series concentrates on the judicial
system's response to the underfunding crisis.

Video subjects -- representatives from the bench, bar and academia
-- shed light on the reality for the 42,000 Massachusetts citizens
who seek justice in the commonwealth's more than 100 courthouses
each day.

The subjects' collective insight paints a picture of the mounting
burdens on the system's shrinking resources, including its
workforce.

"We are really asking our people to do more and more with fewer
and fewer resources," Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Roderick
L. Ireland said in the video.

MBA President Richard P. Campbell also spoke to the escalating
strains on court personnel. "It's a huge problem for us," he
said.

"We have not hired one single person," Probate and Family Court
Chief Justice Paula M. Carey added, referencing the court's hiring
freeze since 2008.

The Hon. Anthony Nesi, also of the Probate and Family Court,
commented on the lack of clerks and weeks-worth of delays in
processing judicial decisions. He explains that the lack of support
services has significantly slowed down the process for citizens and
impacts the service that they receive.

"People are waiting for their decision. Their lives are in limbo.
And, we may have decided the case, but no one knows it," Nesi said.

Maurice Cunningham, PhD, JD, chairman, Department of Political
Science, UMass Boston, also featured in the video, said, "There is
a point where you just can't tighten your belt any longer. We're at
it right now."

MBA members are asked to continue to
share the MBA videos and the link to
online resources with colleagues and acquaintances. All can serve
as resources when members of the legal community and citizens alike
reach out to legislators on this important issue.

In addition, news of the campaign has received considerable
attention on social media, especially Twitter. Follow @massbar for the latest tweets on the topic or
to join the conversation. In addition to MBA's social media
platforms, MBA's e-Journal and Massachusetts Lawyers Journal will
contain campaign updates.